New Hesperia police station officially opens

Thursday

HESPERIA • After decades of working out of a building that once housed a Circle K convenience store, Hesperia's deputies officially moved into their new, more spacious home on Wednesday.

Approximately 200 dignitaries gathered outside the new Hesperia Police Department building on Smoketree Street, across the street from Hesperia City Hall.

"This is the finest law enforcement facility in the sheriff's department," Sheriff Rod Hoops told the crowd. His predecessor, Gary Penrod, was the city's first sheriff's captain, and worked out of the old 7,600 square foot facility (which was the city's water department after it was a Circle K) on Santa Fe Avenue.

The new station is 43,000 square feet and will house 75 members of the sheriff's department, including deputies and volunteers. The new station, and the neighboring High Desert San Bernardino County Government Center, both share the look of the nearby city hall and community library.

The new station includes two "observation room" cells, a gymnasium, locker room, a secure evidence room complete with a garage entrance for bringing in large quantities of evidence and other amenities.

The station house was budgeted at $20 million, but even with the addition of solar power generators, the project came in $3 million under budget. The cost savings were due to building the station and government center concurrently and lower costs of labor and materials due to the recession.

"The city of Hesperia's No. 1 priority is public safety," Mayor Thurston "Smitty" Smith told those assembled. The city has been the safest in the Victor Valley for the last two years.

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Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 760-956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com.

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